Indian
Express: Madurai: Sunday, 25 January 2015.
A Dalit, who
sought details, through an RTI, of the land tax and property tax paid by a
private college that came under the jurisdiction of the local panchayat, was
attacked by an unidentified gang on Friday. His family members too were not
spared.
‘Evidence’, a
Madurai-based NGO that advocates the rights of the Dalits claimed that the
information sought could reveal alleged tax evasion by the concerned college
and alleged that the attack was perpetrated by the family that owned the
institution.
The NGO,
which deputed a fact-finding team to investigate the attack on the Dalit and
his family, said that police are yet to an FIR in the case.
According to
the NGO, M Meganathan is a resident of Veerapatti village in the Iluppur taluk
of Pudukkottai district. Last month, he filed an RTI application demanding
details of the land taxes and property taxes paid by a private college in the
locality following which he began receiving threats. Despite repeated
ultimatums and warnings, the 30-year-old man stood his ground.
On Friday
morning, a weapon-wielding gang reached his house and assaulted him and his
family members. The attack led to injuries being sustained by himself, his
father Mayazhagu (56), and other relatives including Sureshkumar (31) and
Rangasamy. They are currently getting treatment at Pudukkottai government
hospital, where they managed to file a Medical Lego Case (MLC) after a long
struggle, said the NGO report.
Moreover,
Annavasal police who controls Veerapatti village were yet to file FIR, and it
is alleged that the police are hand-in-glove with the attackers.
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